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pnonty. Also the first quality that
aoy human being shou ld have is
courage: the courage of believing,
the courage o f doing what one
thinks is right, the courage to stand
his ground. And what really de–
stroys people is the fear of growi ng
o ld , the fear of losiog a job, the fear
of losing social status.
Cons umer-product advertising is
very much based on exploitation of
fear. like the fear of dying. l f some–
one is really faithful and totally be–
lieves in God, why should he ever
be afraid ofdying?
l almos t died 19 times in my life.
But
l
didn' t plan to die,
1
didn ' t
want lo die, and therefore l didn ' t.
Jt is easy to die, and it 's hard to
live when you are enduring extreme
suffering. When 1 lost my hand 1
was bleeding to death and 1 was 203
miles from a hospital.
J
had to swim
300 feet among crocodiles and
J
had
to get to my truck and drive around
curve after curve on an impo ible
road. But
1
decided
1
had to do it
beca use 1think Life is worth living.
a.
Why do the Pygmles need sav–
Ing?
A.
No one questions saving the
whales and other endangered spe–
cies. Why question saving a unique
people? When I grew up with the
Pygmies in the l930s there were
about 35,000 of these healthy. de–
lightfully happy and highly mo ra l
people. Today there are fewer than
4,000.
The Pygmies' ancestral forest was
increasing ly being .chopped down
YOUNG AND OLD FACES
reflect
both the joy ot living and the uncer–
tain ty ot the future tor Pygmies ot the
Atrican lturi Forest. The boy is six
years o/d and very close to tul/ physi–
caf maturity. Afready his extensive
knowfedge ot the torest contributes
to the tribe 's overa/1 weffare. The ofd
man is sixty years ofd and enjoys the
great honor and respect younger
Pygmies accord their efders. Pygmy
~
culture places heavy emphasis on
~
both respect tor elders and preserva–
~
tion ot the tamify unit. Photos on the
~
preceding pages capture these Jturi
C:
~
natives in moments ot joy and quiet
~
reflection. Lower fett. Jean-Pierre
"' Ha/let. "Father ot the Pygmies,"
~
:: practices his own brand of forest di-
f
p/omacy as he is escorted through a
a=
Bantu viflage.
The
PLAIN TRUTH September 1978